Cervical collar

ABSTRACT

AN ADJUSTABLE FLEXIBLE CERVICAL COLLAR IN WHICH LATERALLY SPACED-APART FLANKING SHEETS ARE SECURED TO A FRONT SHEET WITH THE INNER ENDS OF THE FLANKING SHEETS BEING FREELY EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FLANKING SHEETS EXTENDING BEYOND THE FRONT SHEET TO FORM A NECK-ENCIRCLING COLLAR WITH MEANS ON THE FRONT SHEET FOR RELEASABLY FASTENING THE INNER ENDS OF THE FLANKING SHEETS IN VERTICAL DISPLACED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE FRONT SHEET WITH MEANS FOR COOPERATIVELY CRADLING THE CHIN OF A WEARER SUPPORTED BY THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING SECTIONS OF THE FLANKING SHEETS.

March 23, 1971 J. L. BOND CERVICAL COLLAR Filed Dec. 11, 1968 FIG.4

INVENTOR. JOHN L. BQN D attorney United States Patent 1 3,572,328 CERVICAL COLLAR John L. Bond, North Wilkeshoro, N.C. 28659 Filed Dec. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 782,865 Int. Cl. A61h 1/02 U.S. Cl. 12875 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION Various types of cervical collars are generally employed for treating pathological conditions in the neck region including arthritis, wry neck or torticollis, muscular strains, traumatic conditions, whiplash injuries and other conditions in the anterior or posterior of the neck. The primary objectives for the use of cervical collars are to immobilize partially the head and neck, and to provide a support for the head to relieve any spasm or strain to which the neck muscles may be subjected by transmitting weight or force from the head to the shoulders or adjacent area.

Advances have been made in various types of cervical collars presently available for use by orthopedic surgeons and others in the medical profession obviating the necessity for custom making a collar for a particular application to each individual patient. The efficacious utilization of the various types of available collars has been somewhat limited in the range of adjustability as some cervical collars employ hardware and other numerous components that must be adjusted and the collar is heavy, awkward and uncomfortable when Worn for any extended duration. Also, many of the presently available cervical collars fail to provide adequate support and a wide range of adjustability and they lack a support for comfortably positioning the wearers chin when the neck is encircled by the collar.

The advantages achieved by adjustable and universaltype cervical collars presently available commercially detract from specialized applications in some areas. Some of the cervical collars of the prior patented art are shown in US. Pats. Nos. 2,818,063; 3,024,784; 3,042,027; 3,050,- 052; 3,055,358; and 3,135,256 but these fail to achieve all of the advantages sought in a universally applicable cervical collar.

The cervical collar of this invention seeks to achieve, at least some degree, a broader range of universal use by providing vertically adjustable, movable sections that are displaceable relative to each other and to a base portion which movable sections may be releasably clamped or secured in position and retained in this position until further adjustments may be required or desirable depending upon the altered condition of the patient. Increased universal application is also provided through utilization of a flexible chin-supporting member that extends transversely across the collar for cooperatively providing a chin-receiving sling 3,572,328 Patented Mar. 23, 1971 which may cradle the chin and may be adjustable when desired.

The range of adjustability in cervical collars may vary substantially from patient to patient as well as in the rapidity of convalescence or alleviation of the pathological condition and trauma.

A further advantage of the cervical collar of this invention is the provision of an articulated structure in which portions may be displaced independently and relative to each other to cover a broader range of pathological conditions to be alleviated than cervical collars heretofore available. By providing such a structure, in a one-piece collar assembly, the collar is pre-assembled initially but is capable of providing a wide range of adjustments from the initial pre-assembled position so that the collar may be adjusted by the physician or surgeon to provide an accurate and conforming fit for various people of widely divergent contours and conditions to be remedied. However, the cervical collar of this invention is made more comfortable for wear by utilization of a light and flexible material that is suitably padded without any metallic surfaces or uncomfortable hardware that will contact the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING OF THE INVENTION The cervical collar of this invention may be more readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the single preferred embodiment, although variations are contemplated with the scope of the appended claims, shown in the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a cervical collar illustrated in the neckencircling position;

FIG. 2 is a rear or inside elevational view of the cervical collar of FIG. 1, in the open fiat position reduced in size, and illustrating one alternate position, in outline form, of the right section of the collar displaced vertically from the full line position;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view of the cervical collar of this invention illustrating a range of vertical adjustability of the flanking sheets in two positions; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial transverse sectional view taken substantially along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a flexible cervical collar 10 in which a front flexible translucent sheet '11 of polyethylene or other suitable plastic material extends laterally upwardly to form a V-shaped, chin-receiving section 12 with laterally projecting and upwardly extending front sections 13 and 14 with the lower foreshortened, flared terminal portions 15 and 16 extending laterally. The lower edge portion of the'front sheet 11 is securely fastened by stitching 17 in the continuous padded enscribing welt band 18 in which there is a central resilient core 19, of polyurethene or other suitable padded material, contained Within the flexible and Washable welt cover 20 of vinyl or other suitable preferably impervious material.

A fastening plate 21 is fastened securely by a rivet number 22, or other suitable securing means, to the upper medial portion of the front sheet or member 11 with the sides 25 of the plate 21 extending laterally a suitable distance. The plate 21 is provided with a series of verticallyspaced apart, welt puncturing and retaining prongs 23 and 24 at the sides 25 of plate 21. A spacer washer 26 on the shank of rivet 22 provides the plate 21 to be spaced a suitable distance from the sheet 11, as shown in FIG. 4, to produce a clamping action upon the welt portion contiguous with the sheet 11.

Individual, flexible, translucent flanking sheets 27 and 28 are positioned to overlap at least partially a substantial portion of the front sheet 11 with the sheets 27 and 28 being laterally spaced from each other so as to remain freely movable relative to each other at the inner, freely extending sections 29 and 30. Each of the flanking sheets 27 and 28 is fastened securely by the stitching 17 in the welt 18 at the lower portions 31 thereof while proyiding, preferably, a relatively short overlapping section 32 between the sheets 11 and 27 or 28. The upwardly extending lobes 33 and 34 on the flanking sheets 27 and 28 are suitable curved or contoured to engage a wearers jawbone or an adjacent area without being uncomfortable, to immobiilze the head and to provide between the downwardly-converging padded-welt portions 35 and 36 an adequate chin-receiving opening 37 permitting a portion of the wearers chin to project forwardly from the collar to be cradled cooperatively by the flexible chin-engaging strap 38 which extends across the chin-receiving opening 37. One end 39 of chin strap 38 is securely fastened by the releasable fastener and rivet 40 to the sheet 27 and the other buckle end 41 of the adjustable chin strap 38 is securely fastened by the releasable fastener and rivet 42 to the sheet 28. The strap adjustable clamping buckle 43 is secured by releasable fastener and rivet 40, as shown in FIG. 1 for adjustable, releasing engagement with the chin strap 38 with the free end 52 of the strap 38 extending through the buckle 43. Obviously, various types of fastening means and strap adjusting means may be empolyed in place of the one shown herein or a continuous strap may be employed. The chin strap 38 may be displaced toward or away from the wearers chin in order to obtain maximum comfort and support.

Spaced-apart clamping snaps 44 are secured to the flanking sheet for retaining, in the desired location depending upon the neck to be encircled, a fastening strap 45 which is provided with a plush surface 46 forming one fastening section of a Velcro fastener for cooperatively and releasably engaging the mating hooks of the Velcro member 47 which is securely fastened to the free end 48 of the sheet 28. The length of the tab or strap 45 may be adjusted by placing it either on the snap fastener 44 closest to the end of sheet 27 or the one more distant therefrom depending on the circumference to be encircled. It will be readily apparent that other types of conventional fastening members may be used releasably to secure the cervical collar around the neck of a wearer.

In placing the cervical collar about the neck of a patient, the individual flanking free-end sections 29 and 30 may be displaced vertically after the lower portion of the collar welt 18 has been adjusted preliminarily to the patient in order to judge the desired displacement for each of the individual lobes 33 and 34. Once this determination has been made, the individual lobes may be displaced through the space provided between the fastening plate 21 and the front sheet 11. Preferably, before inserting the welt-piercing points or projections 23 and 24 on plate 21 into the padded welt 35 and 36, the collar may then be fitted to patients neck to finalize adjustment. The collar is then removed and the projections 23 and 24 are urged to pierce the padded welts 35 and 36 to retain securely the flanking sections 27 and 28 in position with the wearers chin being cradled on the chin strap 18 which strap may be suitably adjusted either before or after the collar has been positioned around the wearers neck.

As will be readily apparent from FIG. 3, the vertical displacement X between the base 50 to the upper-most position 51 of the collar is the minimum vertical displacement, as shown also in FIG. 2. With the individual lobes 33 and 34 extended upwardly, and the upper-most position 51 maintained, the base 50 will be displaced so that the overall vertical distance will be increased to the position Y.

It should be readily recognized, however, that each of the flanking sheets 27 and 28 may be displaced disproportionately from each other or an equal displacement for each lobe 33 and 34 depending upon the condition to be treated as opposed to most available cervical collars in which the displacement of the individual sections will be dependent upon the integrity of the entire unit rather than a device that is articulated as in the present cervical collar.

As the patients condition improves, or his needs are modified, the same cervical collar may be utilized with suitable periodic adjustments being provided, if desirable, by displacing either or both of the flanking sections 27 and 28 relative to each other. The securing action of the projecting points 23 and 24 on plate 21 with the padded welt sections is augmented by the clamping action provided by the front sheet 11 which cooperates with the projecting points as shown in FIG. 4. The versatility of the cervical collar of this invention is thereby capable of increased utilization for innumerable pathological conditions over prior available cervical collars.

I claim:

1. A flexible cervical collar comprising a first sheet, a pair of flanking sheets in spaced relation to said first sheet, means for retaining said sheets in at least partial spaced overlapping relation for encircling the neck of a wearer, said flanking sheets having opposed freelyextending inner sections and arcuate lobes extending upwardly above said first sheet, and means on said first sheet intermediate said pair of flanking sheets for releasably securing said freely-extending sections in relative displacement to each other and said first sheet.

2. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 1, and chin-cradling means reaching between said upwardlyextending, arcuate lobes of said flanking sheets.

3. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 1, and padded-welting securing said sheets together along portions thereof whereby said freely-extending sections may be displaced within limits relative to each other and said securing means.

4. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 1, said securing means having means thereon for clamping separately each of said freely-extending sections of said flanking sheets whereby each of said freely-extending sections may be displaced independently of each other.

5. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 2, said chin-cradling means flexibly extending transversely across and in spaced relation to said first sheet and secured to said flanking sheets.

6. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 1, said first sheet having a chin-receiving opening extending below at least one portion of said freely-extending sections of said flanking sheets, and chin-cradling means reaching between said upwardly-extending, inner-sections of said flanking sheets for cooperatively supporting the Wear of c in.

7. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 1, and means for releasably clamping said flanking sheets around the neck of a wearer.

8. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 2, and means for releasably securing said flanking sheets around the neck of a wearer.

9. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 2, padded-welting securing said sheets together along portions thereof, said securing means having means thereon for releasably piercing separately said padded-welting on each of said freely-extended sections of said flanking sheets whereby each of said freely-extending sections may be displaced independently.

10. A flexible cervical collar as claimed in claim 9, said chin-cradling means being adjustable and removable.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited 3,135,256 6/1964 Gruber 128-75 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,477,425 11/1969 Grassl 12875 1,508,892 9/1924 Mikalsen 128-75 2,818,063 12/1957 Smith et a1 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Pnmary Exammer 3,042,027 7/1962 Monfardini 12875 5 YASKO, ant Examiner 

